Umbrella latch and runner combination



May 15, 1956 R. A. RUSSELL UMBRELLA LATCH AND RUNNER CQMBINATION Filed April 16, 1953 ZVVEA/TOR: PAY A. Passe/.L

United States Patent O UMBRELLA LATCH AND RUNNER CQMBINATION Ray A. Russell, Santa Ana, Calif.

Application April 16, 1953, Serial No. 349,180

Claims. (Cl. 13S-38) This invention relates to umbrellas, and it yrelates more especially to the larger and heavier beach and garden type of umbrella structures which normally are somewhat more diticult to raise because of the greater weight of the canopy with which they are equipped.

An object of the present invention is to provide a runner structure and a co-operating latch means such that the runner may be readily latched in place, when raised sufficiently, merely by letting it settle back, the runner thereafter being automatically released when it is desired to lower the canopy, such release being eected merely by raising the runner a little more than formerly and then letting it settle to a lower position wherein the canopy is collapsed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a runner and latch combination of the indicated character wherein the releasing of the latch means and the mounting of the latch means are accomplished by a very simple and yet very eiicient structural arrangement.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a runner and latch combination such that both the latching of the runner in elevated position and the releasing of the runner to permit it to move to inoperative position are both accomplished merely by elevation of the runner.

Other objects of the invention and the various features of construction will become apparent to those skilled in this art upon reference to the following specication and the accompanying drawing wherein certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view partially in vertical elevation and partially in vertical section showing a portion of an umbrella canopy in extended position, a portion of a shaft or stall? upon which the canopy is mounted, and the runner and latch combination of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale of the runner and latch combination illustrated in Fig. l, portions being shown in elevation and portions being shown -in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View on the same scale as that of Fig. 2 and showing a latch-carrying housing in elevation, the parts being shown in position releasing the runner so that it may be lowered, whereas Fig. 2 shows the runner latched in elevated position;

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 wherein the latch is in operative position retaining the runner in its elevated canopy-extending position;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section similar to that of Fig. 2 and illustrating a modiiied form of latch control;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the .line v6 6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional detail taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. l. i

The drawing illustrates a conventional umbrella canopy 10 having the usual umbrella ribs 11, these being carried at the upper end of a staff 12, which, in the case of many umbrellas of the beach and garden variety is jointed as indicated at 13. The canopyl 10 and ribs 11 vare shown as being extended by the usual rod-like braces 14 whose upper ends are attached to the ribs 11 and whose lower ends are attached to an annular flange 15 which is carried by the upper end of a runner sleeve 16 of this invention. Any preferred method of attaching the ange v15 to the upper end of the runner sleeve 16 may be employed, such as that here illustrated wherein the flange is carried in a groove-like mounting at the upper end of the sleeve, the uppermost portion of the sleeve being rolled over to provide a permanent connection. The present ange 15 is shown as being provided with circular openings 17 through which the lower or inner ends of the braces 14 are passed, the extremities of the braces 14 being then turned up to lie in peripheral notches 18, whereby the inner ends of the braces 14 are secured as indicated in both Figs. 4 and 5.

While the runner 16 may be manually operated, as by gripping the ange 15 or the lower portion of the runner sleeve 16, it is preferred for the heavier types of beach and garden umbrellas to employ a cable and pulley system which includes in the form illustrated a cable 20 which is long enough to depend to a lower position where it may be grasped by the operator, the cable thence extending upward and passing over a pulley 21 carried near the top of the staff 12, the cable then passing downward and around a small pulley 22 pivoted in brackets 23 secured to the upper face of one side of the ange 15. Ihence the cable passes upward and over a second pulley 24 mounted in the upper portion of the stai 12, both of the pulleys 21 and 24 being journalled on a transverse axle pin 25. By these means, draft upon the lower end of the cable 20 easily results in raising the runner 16 and the umbrella braces 14 to extend the canopy. For the purpose of mounting the dead end of the cable 20, it is passed through an opening 26 in the flange 15 diametrically opposite to the small pulley 22 and is then knotted at 28 for retention, as best illustrated in Fig. 2. As also illustrated in Fig. 2, the upward movement of the runner sleeve 16 is desirably limited as by a stop pin or screw 30 mounted on one side of the statt 12 in the path of the upper end of the runner sleeve 16, the upper limit of movement of the sleeve 16 being indicated in broken lines.

ln order to latch the runner sleeve 16 in position to hold the canopy 1t? extended, once such a condition has been attained, `the -inner Wall of the sleeve 15 is provided with an inner, annular, angular gro-ove 35 which provides a downwardly and inwardly faced shoulder as best seen in Figs. 2 and 5, and a swinging latch 36 is mounted Within the staff 12 so that the extremity of the latch 36 at -its outer and upward end will abut against such shoulder whereby to retain the sleeve in the elevated position illustrated. Normally, that is, when the runner sleeve 16 is in its lowerrnost position and the canopy 19 is collapsed, the latch 36 is directed outward as seen in Fig. 3 so that it will be in the path of the upper end of the sleeve 16 as it is raised. Also, the latch 36 is to be lin this position yafter the sleeve 16 has been released, so lthat the sleeve 16 may be allowed to descend under the Weight of the canopy 10 from its position seen in Fig. 3 and thus swing the latch 36 down out of the way. For the purpose of thus controlling the latch 36, a spring 38 is provided in the form of Figs. 2 and 3, which spring is in the form of a coil spring carrying hooks at its opposite ends. For the purpose of carrying ythe latch 36 and the spring 38 in proper position within the staff 12, a rather narrow vertical housing 40 lis employed, this housing 40 being U-shaped in horizontal section and having been introduced laterally Ifrom ythe right side as viewed inFigs. 2 and 4 through a corresponding verticalropening whose width is equal tothe spacing of the two side walls of the housing 4t? and Whose height isV equal to the vertical dimension of the side Walls. These side walls are connected by an integral back wall 42 which is apertured to receive and anchor the hook 43 formed at the innerV end of the spring 38. The opposite end of the springV 3S is provided with a hook 44 whichl passes -through an opening `i5 in the adjacent end of the latch 36. Since the latch 36 is required yto swing in a vertical plane, it is pivoted in the side walls of the housing 4t) through the medium of bearing openings 46 in such walls and pivots 47 which may be formed integrally with the edge portions of the latch 36. From this description, it will be apparent -that the latch 36 and the spring 38 are readily assembled in position in the Ushaped housinglltl, and this assembly is `then inserted into the stai 12 through the vertical opening described, the outer end of the latch 36 thus swinging out through the space between `the outer portions of the side walls of the housing 49 and the corresponding slot in the wall of the stati 12. yIn order to insure retention of the housing in proper position, it is desirably formed with integral, out-struck detents orspring fingers 4S which, when the housing 4i) is properly inserted, spring outward so as -to engage the inner adjacent portions of the wall of the stafI' 12, as best seen in Fig. 4.

From the foregoing it will be seen that, when the runner sleeve 16 is either in inoperative position below -the latch 36, or isL above the latch 36 as indicated in Fig. 3 preparatory to being lowered, the latch 36 will be directed laterally outward as seen in Fig. 3, by reason of the action of the spring 38. When the sleevel is run upward from its lower, inoperative position, either by,

being engaged by the operators hand or by draft upon vthe cable 20, its upper end will strike the projecting portion of the latch 36 and swing it back into the slot in the sftai 12 and between the walls of the housing 40 so thatthe sleeve 16 may continue upward. When the annular groove 35 has reached or sl-ightly passed the upper extremity of the latch 36, the runner sleeve 16 will be locked in the position shown in Fig. 2 merely by letting the sleeve 16 settle back so that the shoulder of the groove 35 rests upon the latch extremity. When it is desired to release the runner 16, it is raised either by hand operation orv through the cable 20 until it is lifted *to the position of Fig. 3 where it clears the latch 36.

rThereupon the sleeve 16 may be lowered readily, the latch 36 being depressed until the sleeve 16 passes on downward and the canopy is collapsed.

1n Figs. 5 and 6 a vertically disposed leaf spring 50 is used instead of the coil spring 38, and the inner end of the latch 3'6 is slotted or bifurcated at 52 to receive the spring 50 and provide a back Wall 53 against which the leaf spring 50 work-s. In order to provide for mounting the ends of the spring t), it is necessary that the housing 40 be provided with top and bottom walls, and these are indicated at 54, their forward ends being provided with openings 55 to receive the extremities 50a of the spring 5t) which are bent over to anchor them in position. With this structure of spring, when the latch 36 is angled upward as seen in Fig. 5 for the purpose of locking the runner sleeve 16 in elevated position, the middle portion Iof the spring 5i) is liexed inward. When the latch 36 is released and the spring 50 is relieved, by reason of the runner-.sleeve 16 being either raised above or lowered below the position of the latch 36, the spring 50 is more or less straight and the latch 36 assumes the same horizontal position that it assumes in Fig. 3.

Thus, with either of the forms shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and in Figs. 5 and 6, the latch 36 serves to lock. `the sleeve 16 in its upper, operative position when the shoulder ofV the intern-al annular groove 35 is settled back upon the extremity of the latch as seen in Figs. 2 and 5. When the sleeve is raised above the position of .the latch 36 of either yform so as to release the latch, .as indicated in fF-ig. 3, the latch moves to its horizontal position so that it may be depressed whenv the sleeve is lowered to its inoperative position.

From the foregoing it will be quite apparent that the yrunner sleeve 16 is easily moved intoy la-tched position when pushing it up by'hand or drawing it up by the cable 29 and then allowing .the shoulder 4of the annularv groove 35 to settle back upon the extremity Vof the inclined latch 36, the weight of the canopy thus being transmitted through vthe pivots 47 to the side walls of the narrow housing 40 andby them -to the stati 12 at the base of the opening through which the housing 40 is inserted and in which it rests. It will also be apparent Vthat, upon'raising 4the runner sleeve 16 to the position of Fig. 3 so that it releases the latch 36, the sleeve may readily be 1owered,through the cable 20 or otherwise as indicated, thus depressing .the latch 36 until vthe sleeve 16 is moved down 4to its lowermost inoperative position wherein the canopy 10 is collapsed.

I claim as my invention:

l. In an umbrella 'staff and runner combination: a vertical staff for carrying an umbrella canopy adapted to be expanded and having braces to expand the canopy; a runner mounted to slide vertically on said stati between the ends thereof and provided with means for receiving the inner `ends of 'said braces, said runner having internal groove means on its inner wall providing stop means to receive latch means; and movable latch means internally carried by said statt` to project through an opening in a side wall of said staff in an vupward direction for one end of said latch to engage said stop means and hold said runner in an upper position for extending said braces and expanding said canopy.

2. A combination as in claim l including spring means connected to said latch means to urge the latter to stopengaging position.

3. A combination as in claim l wherein said latch means is mounted to swing in a vertical plane between the upwardly directed latching position and a downwardly directed releasing position, said runner being movable to a position above said latch means to disengage said latch means lwhereby to descend on said latch means and swing the same down.

4. A combination as in claim l including a housing positioned ywithin said stati, said latch means being mounted in said housing and said opening in said side wall accommodating an outward portion of said housing.

5. A vcombination as in claim 4 including spring means connected to said housing and positioned thereby, said spring means engaging said latch means to actuate the latter.

6. A combination as in claim l including pulley means carried by an upper portion of said staff,l pulley means carried by said runner, attachment means carried by said runner, and cable means having an end connected to said attachment means on said runner and passing over said pulley means on said stati, thence over the pulley means on said runner, and thence back over said Vpulley means on said stati, for raising said runner and extending said canopy.

7. In combination: a vertical umbrella stai having a lateral opening in a side wall thereof; an elongated latch l member mounted within said stai on a transverse axis and having an end portion adapted to extend through said opening and to be directed upward therein and to be swung back therethrough; a runner sleeve slidable upon said staff in a path to engage the extended end portion of said latch member in' both upward and downward movement, said sleeve lhavingy an internal horizontal groove providing a downwardly faced shoulder to be engaged by the upper extremity of said latch member when said end portion is directed upward whereby to supportV said runner on said extremity; and' yielding means connected with said latch member to project said end portion normally laterally outward into the path of both' the upper and lower ends of said runner sleeve Vfor 5 t swinging of said latch end portion in said opening by the respective end of said runner sleeve upon movement of said runner sleeve in either direction and for movement of the runner sleeve upward until said shoulder rests on said latch extremity.

8. In combination: a vertical umbrella staff having a lateral opening in a side wall thereof; elongated latch means mounted within said staff on a fixed transverse pivot and having an end portion to swing in said opening; a runner slidable upon said stai in a path to engage an extending portion of said latch means, said runner having shoulder means to be engaged by an upper portion of said latch means when said extending portion is directed upward whereby to support said runner; and

yielding means connected with said latch means to pro- 15 256862 ject said extending portion normally laterally outward into the path of both the upper and lower ends of said runner for swinging of said extending portion by movement of said runner in either direction.

9. A combination as in claim 1 wherein said runner is slidable to opposite sides of said latch means and is free from passage means through which said latch means can project.

10. A combination as in claim l including a housing positioned within said stai, said latch means being mounted in said housing to project therefrom into said opening.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 32,861 Davis July 23, 1861 678,868 Gleason July 23, 1901 Primavera Sept. 18, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 497,556 Great Britain Dec. 2l, 1938 

